The seasons are changing, and there’s so much to celebrate: Spring Break, warmer weather and, best of all, Easter! As the flowers bloom and the beaches beckon, glo – glorify God. He alone can turn winter into spring and death into life, so you glo girl!
My New Favorite Feeling
by Laurie Cole, Founder & President
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Last month I asked for your prayers as I videotaped the teaching sessions for my newest study, Beauty by The Book. Many of you responded with encouraging emails letting me know you’d be praying (I read every one of them, treasured every word, and thanked God for each one of you who sent them – bless you for taking time to write). But I know without a doubt, many, many more of you faithfully prayed for me. This month as I sit here at my keyboard, I’m about to explode! I cannot wait to tell you how God answered your prayers.
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About 10 days before the videotaping, I experienced an all-out spiritual assault. A prolonged period of peace in our family was shattered by some very upsetting, unanticipated news. Satan seized the moment, and the attack began. As the battle raged, I began asking God, “Lord, how can I possibly teach at the videotaping? My heart is breaking, and my mind is a mess. Help me!”
A few days later, I taught at the Cypress Bible Church Retreat. I felt led to ask that precious group of women for their prayers, and they began praying (thank you, sweet sisters!). A couple of days later, you received the February newsletter, and I asked you to “please pray for me,” too (and you prayed BIG TIME; thank you big time!). The result? A supernatural sense of perfect peace enveloped me like a soft, snuggly blanket. No, the warfare did not cease, but God’s peace and power prevailed. Sisters, I was able to go to that videotaping in victory. Hal-lay-LUjah! God is so good!!
Which brings me now to the weekend of the actual videotaping. Girls, it was a blur of non-stop blessings. So let me just share a sampling of what I saw to show you how God honored your mighty, intercessory prayers:
- We videotaped 7 teaching sessions, 7 intro segments, and one promo segment. Prior to the videotaping, the video production company cautioned us that because schedule was so tight, we might not be able to get all of the intros and promos videotaped. But not only did we get everything done, we were ahead of schedule all weekend!!
- I’ve never taught 7 teaching sessions, and done 7 intros and a promo all in one weekend. But the Holy Spirit gave me energy and ability to stretch myself beyond anything I’ve ever done before. I experienced a giant growth spurt in my faith and love for the Lord that weekend.
- The Priority staff led and served tirelessly and beautifully. The endless details and responsibilities involved in producing the Beauty by The Book project and videotaping were gi-mongous. Plus, as they prepared for the event, they also prepared for the possibility of a few worst-case-scenario things to occur – like illnesses and last-minute no-shows, bad weather, electrical outages, etc. But none of those things happened. It was a smooth-as-silk weekend! God honored their preparation and service, and the staff left the event just like I did: empty and full (which is a good thing; I’ll explain it to you a little more in a minute).
- The women who attended the event were amazing! These gals had to pack 7 changes of clothes (and don’t forget the accessories, shoes, makeup, and heavy suitcases to wag), travel to Danbury Lodge (and five of them were from out of state), and sit for 7 hours (without coughing, sniffing, or whispering to the women around them – something I sure couldn’t do) in each video session. Yet as I’ve watched previews of the videos, the supernatural glow of God is on all of their faces in every session! Plus, we enjoyed the sweetest fellowship on earth together that weekend.
- The Video Perspective staff and crew were beyond belief! Prior to the event, I felt way outside my comfort zone (in the past, we’ve always videotaped studies at our church with our church crew) as I prepared to work with a professional camera, audio and lighting crew. But not only were they friendly, fabulous, and very professional, they were fun and encouraging, too. And the videos are GORGEOUS!!! Can’t wait for you to see them.
- Icing on the cake: 1) the weather was perfect; 2) Danbury Lodge was dazzling; 3) the music (Refuge from HBU) was inspiring; and 4) my sweet sister-in-law, Cyndi Fields, and her daughter (my niece), Stacie Barron, came and we enjoyed a rare girls weekend together.
Janet’s got pictures of the Beauty by The Book videotaping event in her column this month, so be sure to take a look. But thank you, thank you, thank you, sweet sisters, for praying. God did “exceeding abundantly beyond all we [could ever] ask or think” (Eph.
3:20
NAS), and you had a HUGE part in it. I am so grateful for you!
Now, I have to tell you the sweetest thing that happened for me after the videotaping. As I drove home from that way-outside-my-comfort-zone, cameras-all-over-the-place videotaping event, I experienced a powerful paradox. I felt empty and full at the same time. And here’s what I’ve decided: it’s my new favorite feeling! Empty because I had poured myself out completely before the Lord, but full because of the deep sense I had of my Father’s “well done.” Oh, how I want you to experience that!
Plus, I drove home singing an endless duet of one of my favorite songs with Nicole Nordeman. Over and over again, I replayed Brave from her CD (a song about stepping out of your comfort zone to follow God by faith – it’s fabuloso!). By the time I pulled in to the driveway at my house, I was as high as a kite!
So, what about you? Are you under assault? Is the enemy whispering heated threats of fear and doubt into your ear? Or maybe God is calling you to a new place in your walk with Him, and you’re uneasy and afraid about vacating your comfort zone. Girl, I know exactly how you feel. But I also know two glorious truths: (1) “Help me,” is a tiny, two-sentence prayer that God blesses big time. So ask Him. (2) “Pray for me,” is a humble request that rallies an army of warriors to intercede for you. So ask somebody.
Fear not the enemy. Fear not the unknown. Be brave, and you’ll find out firsthand what feeling empty and full feels like. You’re going to love it!
Love you, dear sisters!!
Laurie
Email Laurie
P. S. One more thing. Last month I put a link to our Partner page at the end of my column and asked you to pray about financially supporting Priority. Several of you responded. Thank you so much!
And FYI: Next month we’re going to begin the prettiest Priority Partner fund-raiser ever. With your one-time gift of $150 (cake pedestal), we’ll ship you a beautiful Scriptureware cake pedestal. And with your gift of $200, we’ll ship you the cake pedestal AND four matching dessert plates. The scripture on the pedestal is Psalm 34:8, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” Perfect! And don’t forget: Mother’s Day is coming! You can use these gifts to bless your mom, AND you’ll bless and support the mission of Priority Ministries, too. Click here to find out more. Thanks for your support!
Priority Passage of the Month
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Easter’s coming! As you celebrate Christ’s resurrection, remember to celebrate what His resurrection has given you: life anew!
“Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power
of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
Romans 6:4 NLT
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Surfin' with Shanda
by Shanda Stiles, IT Director
The Internet is an amazing thing. You can get information on just about anything, including stuff that’s way fun! Check out this month’s just-for-fun websites, discover who won my Surfin’ with Shanda contest, and find out how you can enter to win.
Mary Claire Petro (
Findlay
,
OH
) goes to zafu.com to find just the right fit for jeans. It’s FUN to be stylish, but sometimes it’s hard to find clothes that flatter our curves. This website will go a long way in helping “narrow” down the choices (pun intended)! Not only does it have help for finding jeans that fit, but also pants and bras.
Two of my fun favorites are geocaching.com and africam.com.
Africam.com is a website that has live streaming videos of the Nkhorho Pan Stream and the Elephant Plains in
Africa
. If you catch it at the right time, you can literally see and hear real animals coming to the water to drink. It is fascinating, and your kids will love it! To see the live streaming video, click on africam.com. An intro video will play, and then the live cam will start. Here’s a little tip: The best time to watch the live cam is late at night because it’s daytime in
Africa
.
Another of my family’s favorite websites is geocaching.com. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game using a GPS to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") all over the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook and "treasure," usually toys or trinkets of little value. My family camps a lot, and we always check geocaching.com before we go camping. My kids love to hunt for treasure in the woods! Check out the site, and I guarantee that you’ll find some geocaches in parks or natural areas near your house. Grab your GPS and jump in the car -- it’s great family fun.
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Glo girls, I’m counting on you to give me some great websites to feature in my column next month. And I’m going to leave the category wide open because I want you to feel free to send me any kind of website you like. I keep all of the ideas you send, so even if you don’t win next month, you might win in the months ahead. So send me your favorites! And if I use your favorite next month, you’ll win a FREE copy of Laurie’s We Have a Latte in Common 3-CD teaching set. Happy surfin’!
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Email Shanda your faves.
Sneak Peek on Maternity Leave
by Stephanie Cole, Administrative & Prayer Director
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Last month, Stephanie gave you the very first sneak peek from Priority’s newest Bible study, Beauty by The Book. This month, she planned to give you the second installment . . . until her due date was moved up two weeks.
Soooo, Stephanie’s column will resume after she takes a brief maternity leave. But when she returns, you’ll also get a sneak peek at Juliette, her brand new baby daughter (and Laurie’s granddaughter), too!
Coming in May 2008!
Beauty by The Book
Becoming a Biblically Beautiful Woman
A 7-week video-based study of the Proverbs
Check our site soon to see workbook, leader guide, and videos previews from this study!
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New! Interview with Laurie
Recently Laurie was invited to do an interview for
Sagemont
Church
’s weekly television program, Living Proof. Laurie is a member at Sagemont (her husband, Bill, is the Associate Pastor of Worship & Praise there). She was honored to share her personal story and how God has used Sagemont in such an instrumental way in her life.
Wanna watch? You can! See Laurie’s interview and hear her testimony on the
Sagemont
Church
website now!
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Journey with Janet & Laurie
by Janet Valentine, Executive Director
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Bet you can’t guess where I am. I’m sitting under the dryer at the hair salon getting highlights as I write you about the highlights of our recent travels. Ironic, huh? :-)
February has been a spectacular month (when your last name is Valentine, it’s always a highlight), but this year, February has been exceptional. Here are just a few of Priority’s February highlights:
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On February 1-2, we had a fabulous weekend with
Cypress
Bible
Church
,
Cypress
,
TX
, at
Camp
Allen
in
Navasota
,
TX
. The setting is woodsy, pretty, and restful, and the food at
Camp
Allen
is amazing. But the best part about the weekend was meeting so many precious new friends and witnessing the way God faithfully ministered to so many hearts (including our own). And we’re thrilled to welcome 37 new glo girlfriends from
Cypress
Bible
Church
as subscribers to You Glo Girl! this month.
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New friends at Cypress
Bible Church
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  Laurie blings
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Notice the new “bling” on Laurie’s ring finger? The birthstone was a special gift from her loving husband, Bill, for her 50th birthday. Way to go, William! |
Danbury Lodge, the beautiful setting for the
videotaping of Laurie's new study
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Big news: On February 8-10, Laurie videotaped the teaching sessions for Beauty by The Book at Sagemont’s Danbury Lodge in
Danbury
,
TX
. Thirty-five amazing women joined Laurie and the Priority Ministries staff to create a warm and inviting studio audience. Some came from as far as
California
and
Louisiana
. Thank you, dear friends! It was glo-rious spending the weekend together with you and the Lord.
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Video Perspective and their production crew were amazing. Thanks to Steve and Lolly Henry (owners of Video Perspective) for making this first-time, on-location experience easier than we ever dreamed. Thanks, also, to Vanessa and Dan Byerly of Generations Tea Room,
League City
,
TX
for the fabulous catering and food they provided all weekend.
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Laurie & the Video Perspectives crew
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Refuge
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Our praise and worship for the event was led by Refuge, a beautiful and gifted group of young women singers/musicians from
Houston
Baptist
University
. Refuge sings in churches all throughout the state, so if you need a great group for your church or women’s event, be sure to check out their site.
We also want to recognize and express appreciation to Wade and
Kim
Owens along with Marilyn Pace of the Danbury Lodge. Wade even made us a big bonfire for Saturday night.
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The Lord showed off big time by giving us a weekend free of stress and any complications, and the weather was picture perfect. Laurie taught each session with the ease of a seasoned pro. Her husband, Bill, said she was the queen of “one-takes.”
We appreciate your prayer support so much. The power and presence of the Holy Spirit was very apparent all weekend long. We can hardly wait to show you the previews of the Beauty by The Book videos in the next month or so. Beauty by The Book will be released in mid-May. Please join us in spreading the word about this practical, applicable Bible study.
Last weekend, Laurie and I traveled to northeast
Texas
to
First
Baptist
Church
in
Linden
for an area-wide women’s conference. This faith-filled church trusted God as they offered their first ever women’s event, and He answered their prayers big-time. 235 women from 20 different churches attended with women ranging in age from 16 to 93!
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Laurie teaching at Linden
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Laurie & Sherry Stanfield
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Special thanks to Sherry Stanfield, FBC pastor’s wife and women’s ministry leader, and her Spirit-filled leadership team for their vision, prayers, and hospitality all weekend long. You glo girls! We also want to welcome lots and lots of new glo girlfriends from the conference as our newest You Glo Girl! subscribers. What a glo-rious weekend we enjoyed with you!
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Both Laurie and I are awaiting the births of our new granddaughters in the coming weeks. Please pray for healthy deliveries, healthy babies, and for their mommies, too.
Well, this month’s highlights have come to an end, and just in time -- my highlights are finished, too! Thanks for sitting under the dryer with me. Hope you enjoyed the visit as much as I did. See you next month!
Email Janet
Going & Glo-ing
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For the next couple of months, Laurie and Janet will be going and glo-ing all over the place! Please remember them in prayer asking God to bless each event and encourage and exhort every woman who attends:
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March 14-15
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Women4Him Conference
First Church of the Open Bible, Des Moines, IA
Contact: Pam Lumbard |
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April 4-5
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Festival of Hope
Brighton Park Baptist Church, Corpus Christi, TX |
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April 11-12
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Spring Conference
Central Baptist Church, Bryan/College Station, TX
Contact: Cindy Byers |
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April 18-19
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Festival of Hope
West Conroe Baptist Church, Conroe, TX
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April 25-26
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Women's Retreat
Cornerstone Community Church, Simi Valley, CA
Contact: Sandy Schmid |
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Priority Partner Update
by Debbie Todd, Director of Support & Stewardship
Glo-rious news, girls! Our Priority Partner program has reached a new milestone. We now have 100 Partners!!! 100 beloved women (and some extra-special men, too) have committed to financially support the mission of Priority Ministries. We praise God for His provision through the faithful giving of our Partners. Their gifts enable us to produce resources and Bible studies to encourage and equip women to love God most and seek Him first. Thank you, thank you, precious Partners!
But there’s more good news to report: Your prayers petitioning God to provide the finances needed to produce and print the Beauty by The Book study (a $44,000 need) have been heard loud and clear. And because of your intercession and financial support, we are very close to fully funding this study. Glory! We so appreciate your support. As soon as this project is fully funded, we’ll let you know. But if you feel led to help us reach this goal, click here to find out how you can contribute.
We want all of our Partners to know that it is not your gift, but the spirit of love and devotion to the Lord and to this ministry that we appreciate the most. Your sacrificial gifts bless Priority, but we know you also benefit from giving. Your gifts are “a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God” (Phil.
4:18
). One day, eternity will reveal all that God has done as a result of your faithfulness. What a day that will be!
We are excited about Beauty by The Book, but we have other projects waiting to be developed as the Lord provides. With your love and support, He continues to grow and bless this ministry. Thank YOU for encouraging and equipping us to spread His Word!
God bless you, precious Partner, for your support!
Priority Prayer Points
We are praising God this month for the successful videotaping of Beauty by The Book! The Lord’s hand was evident throughout the entire process, and Laurie was a natural in front of the camera. Yet even with that accomplishment complete, we are not slowing down one bit! Please look over our prayer needs for this month, and keep them before the Lord as you meet with Him each day:
- Pray for the Priority staff – especially Pam – as we work through the post-production phase of Beauty by The Book. Pray for wisdom in making edits and deciding the final details of the DVD, workbook and leader guide. Continue to pray for our financial needs for this project as well.
- Pray for the ladies who will be attending the Women 4 Him Conference in Des Moines, Iowa as Laurie speaks to them this month. Ask God to pour out His Spirit upon these sweet women and to supernaturally equip Laurie to speak His message to them.
- Pray also for Laurie as she travels to
Corpus Christi
,
Texas
to speak at The Festival of Hope event at
Brighton
Park
Baptist
Church
. Pray for a powerful time of worship and proclaiming God Word and that many would be saved at this evangelistic event.
If you have a prayer request, please e-mail it to Stephanie (Priority's Prayer Director), and always be assured of our prayers on your behalf.
Email your prayer request to Stephanie
Glo-ing in the Kitchen
by Jan Hart, Administrative Support
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Are you like me: counting the days until Spring? I’m ready for new beginnings, new projects, spring cleaning, a new schedule (thanks to Daylight Savings Time), and even spring baseball season. And I can’t wait for my first trip to the nursery to see all the beautiful planting possibilities to brighten my garden. But what excites me most about Spring are all of the opportunities to get together with friends and loved ones and just enjoy life. Spring is just a fun time of the year! I love it!
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This month I want to share a couple of appetizers with you. The first is a delicious dip that Laurie brought as we gathered to celebrate the impending arrival of two new baby girls. One taste and I knew I wanted to feature it in this column. My second appetizer is a fun one. Spread some newsprint over a large table, let your guests peel their own shrimp, and enjoy some good conversation. It’s Spring! Celebrate!
Sun-Dried Tomato Dip*
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sour cream
½ cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature with assorted crackers or raw veggies. Delicious!!
*From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten
BBQ Shrimp
4 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
2 lemons, cut into wedges
2 bay leaves
1 cup better, melted
1 cup ketchup
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons
Old
Bay
seasoning
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
French bread
Place shrimp in a 13- x 9-inch pan; top with lemon wedges and bay leaves. Stir together butter and next 6 ingredients. Pour over shrimp. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until shrimp are pink, stirring every 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Serve with bread and lemon wedges.
Email Jan
Gotta Glo
We gotta glo for now. But thank you, dear sister, for subscribing to this newsletter. We’d love to hear from you, too! Tell us what you like (and maybe even dislike) about this newsletter, or send us your suggestions on how we can improve it. We value your feedback and would be most grateful for your input. So, c’mon. Take a minute to email us. Thanks!
Until next month, please know of our love, appreciation, and prayers for you. God bless you for your interest, support and prayers for this ministry and, as always, keep glo-ing girl!
Loving Him most, seeking Him first,
Laurie Cole, Janet Valentine, Pam Henderson, Courtney Hays,
Debbie Todd, Stephanie Cole, Jan Hart, and Shanda Stiles
Priority Ministries Staff
“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart…soul…(and) mind.” Matt. 22:37
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” Matt. 6:33
Contact us at
www.priorityministries.org
Priority Ministries
P. O. Box 590663
Houston, TX 77259-0663
Priority Ministries is a 501(C)3 non-profit ministry.
